Pettiness Destroys the Dem. Presidential Chances

By Broadside Opinion Columnist Scott Mason

Historically, it seems that there have been campaigns full of both vice and virtue since the beginning of our American republic, since the legendary George Washington’s majesty paved his way into office. From the Federalists and Jeffersonians, who believed that the opposing party had no thread of legitimacy, to dueling Andrew Jackson to the Lincoln-Douglas debates, there have been great times and low times for the dignity and sophistication of political campaigns in America. But it seems that never before have candidates had to explain why or why not they choose to where a pin of our flag on their lapel. The sheer idiocy of the seeming need for a mandate on lapel attire for presidential candidates is absolutely asinine, but it seems now that Senator John McCain should not have left that measure out of his campaign finance reform.

Honestly, the amount of press that small issue is getting is disgusting. I understand that I am only aiding to the press coverage, but I am not here to criticize Senator Barack Obama on his fashion statements, I am here to criticize Senator Hillary Clinton, George Stephanopoulos, Charlie Gibson, cable news and the entirety of corporate media for beating this issue like a dead horse. I would absolutely relish the day where Obama and Clinton talked about welfare, social security reform, the environment or restructuring government, so that it can work in a way that is hasn’t been able to for the past seven and a half years. Between the coverage of the Pope in America and the democratic primary’s lunacy, nothing is on . . . period.

Why must the word “gate” be added onto any scandal now as well? Watergate was an episode under the Nixon Administration. George Mason Professor Roger Wilkins helped break the story in the Washington Post. It was a big deal. President Nixon hired CIA operatives to break into the DNC Headquarters. It was illegal. Why does the word “bitter” get paired with “gate” to become “bittergate?” How in the world is Obama’s misspeaking worthy of any comparison to Watergate? No laws were broken. No one died. No ones rights were violated. Then why does Keith Olbermann keep saying it? Yes, it could be interpreted as an offensive and elitist statement, not to mention an absolutely poor word choice. But, it was not a crime. Obama, America is not bitter, it is just exhausted by this campaign you are running in. Former Virginia Senator George Allen’s “macaca” statement was much more offensive, and it got less press that the flag pin.

McCain, because of all of this, must be the happiest man in America. He is able to rise above, be the better candidate, withdraw attack ads from 527s and continue to gain support from the American people as they continue to grow dissatisfied with the democratic nomination. It feels as though everyday ticked off of the calendar is another day either Clinton or Obama will have to make up in the general election. McCain is able to make up ground in the youth of this country while Obama is busy catering to other audiences. McCain can also speak to blue collar workers across the nation, while Senator Clinton still has to pander to voters in states she needs for the primary, but could care less about in the general election.

It will be interesting as the summer months will unfold, and how the contests leading up to the Democratic National Convention will turn out, but we could all do without the noise that gets in the way of real issues. Day after day, we hope that one of the democratic candidates will break free and put the other one out of their misery and drudgery, but it seems that this race will continue to go on and on and on. The pundits, talking day after day about the same thing as the week before, just another primary has been held and the outcome is still indecipherable. My solution is to turn the cable news networks off until September, and let us Americans rest, at least until the real contest begins and we decide what kind of change is right for our great nation.